For the Bond We Share
by Spiritstrike
Summary: Sequel to NGTLYG: They're separated by distance, but Sideswipe knows that he will be reunited with his brother soon. How soon... he doesn't know, that is until the unexpected happens one night. Part of the Earthspark Quadrilogy. Rated for minor violence, mention of suicide, and minor profanity.
1. Waiting for the Sun

**Guys, I apologise in advance for the delay in this short story. A lot of things have happened, especially with how increasingly difficult it has been to maintain a balanced life and stuff. It's been a real drag and I'm still trying to get the spinoff story – ****Rise**** – off the ground and its getting even harder the more I try. So hopefully writing this short story will get ****Earthspark**** going again. It's been a really long time, but I hope my memory isn't really all that bad.**

* * *

**Characters:**

**Rodimus Prime** – red Ford GTX1 with amber and gold flames on sides and bonnet

**Arcee** – byzantine McLaren MP4-12C

**Springer** – dark green 2011 Ford Interceptor Concept/Customised Cybertronian jetfighter

**Prowl** – black and white 2007 Dodge Challenger police car

**Skyfire** – gray B-1B Lancer Bomber

**Sunstreaker** – yellow Lamborghini Murcielago

* * *

**Chapter 1:**

**Waiting for the Sun**

* * *

"_**Sunstreaker, we need your help on the west side of the colony! Please!"**_

"_Primusdamnit, the Decepticons are everywhere!"_

"_Don't worry, Sides, I'll take care of the Decepticons on the western side! Keep the colony safe."_

"_Sunny, are you sure about this? I mean what if the Decepticons get past me and get to the colony? This is the main entrance after all."_

"_Listen, brother, with you and the others keeping them back, they shouldn't bypass you at all. I promise I'll be right back."_

"_You swear it?"_

"_Upon my very spark, Sideswipe."_

"_Alright, be careful."_

"_Hey, this is Sunstreaker you're talking to. Nothing can get past me."_

"_**The Decepticons have breached the west side! Wait... what is that? Oh my Primus! GET OUT OF THE WAY!"**_

"_**It's coming straight for us!"**_

"_**Sideswipe, get out of here, there's a huge Decepticon trashing up the field! Get out of. ARGH!"**_

"_Brother, speak to me! What happened? Answer me! Sunny? Sunny?! SUNNY!"_

"NO!"

Sideswipe woke up with a start, optics wide and spark burning with the familiar agony. He panted heavily as he clutched at his chest plates where his spark rested within its chamber. He leaned forward, optics squinting in an attempt to push the pain into the back of his processor, but nothing could seem to stop it from hurting until it settled on its own.

The minutes ticked by before the pain eventually died down and he was able to move again. He lifted a hand and rubbed his helm to clear the beads of oil dripping along the sides and front.

Primus, it had been only been seven decades since the dreams had eventually stopped after he had been separated from his twin brother Sunstreaker when they had been protectors for a neutral colony. He thought he had been over it, but he was as good as wrong. Why did the dreams suddenly start returning again? Why now after all this time? It had taken him many years to get over the loss with the assistance of his mentor Ironhide and his good friend Bumblebee before the dreams finally subsided.

Seven decades of a peaceful recharge now shattered by the unknown.

Sideswipe glanced down at his chest where his spark rested. It still throbbed with discomfort, but it didn't hurt anymore. Exactly why his spark hurt whenever he had those dreams remained a mystery. Even Ratchet had been baffled by the occurring nightmares being connected to his pained spark.

He shook his head to clear the cobwebs from inside and slowly stood up from his berth. Now that he was awake, recharge would be impossible to get back into. His chronometer told him that it was 2:10AM EST. Only a few Autobots would be out and about, some of them even keeping an optic out for Decepticon activity on Teletrann-One.

Things had been relatively quiet over the last nine years since their desperate attack on Mars to rescue Rodimus from Decepticon capture. While Rodimus had been leading the Autobots quite well and could fight with many despite his puny size whenever the Decepticons randomly attacked Earth, Optimus had charged himself to fight Megatron one-on-one on the battlefield now that he could fight again.

The city the Autobots had been hoping to build was still under construction and wouldn't be completed for another seven more months. Wheeljack and his scientists were applying the finishing touches in preparation for the landing of the _Iron Hope_ by mid next year.

Sideswipe turned and rolled out of his quarters, being mindful of the other recharging Autobots. He hadn't been this agitated since seven decades ago and it filled him with nothing but concern. The best option was to see Ratchet, but he had a sneaking suspicious that the dark green mech was busy recharging.

Once he reached his destination, he entered the medical bay and glanced around. Much to his surprise, there was only one mech in the waiting room: Barricade. The black and white Neutral had his head bowed and his taloned servos resting on his thighs as though he was in deep thought. He didn't even acknowledge Sideswipe's presence when he came within proximity distance.

During the past nine years, Barricade had lain low amongst the Neutrals, even after he had removed his Decepticon insignia. As far as Sideswipe knew, Barricade hadn't been very welcomed amongst the Autobots, but the Neutrals were more than happy to allow him in their sector. Barricade no longer wanted to fight, even against his own brethren. Whatever the reason Barricade had for coming to see Ratchet rather than seeing the Neutral medic, it had to be pretty important.

"What brings you in here, Barricade?" Sideswipe asked, keeping his tone evenly calm. "In all your time since you've been here, you've never come down to the Autobot medical bay."

It took a few seconds before Barricade finally lifted his head and stared into the face of his former adversary. At first he said nothing in response to Sideswipe's question, either he wasn't in the mood or he was too busy being caught up in his own thoughts. Whatever was bothering him, it had to be pretty important. Finally, he answered in a neutral tone of voice, "What's it to you?"

Sideswipe shook his head. "To satisfy my own curiosity," he answered stoically. "Why come to see Ratchet?"

Barricade's optical ridges furrowed slightly. "It's not any of your business, Autobot," he snapped.

The silver warrior shrugged his shoulders just as Ratchet came into the waiting room and he blinked once at the sight of the two. Whether it was from surprise or just acknowledgement, Sideswipe would never know. Judging from Ratchet's sagged appearance and dull looking optics, Sideswipe could at least guess that he had been up for a long time and was in desperate need of recharge.

"Sideswipe, what do you want?" Ratchet huffed unkindly. "I've got enough patients to deal with, I do not need you on my waiting list."

Sideswipe raised a hand in a calmly manner. "Relax, old timer," he joked with a hint of a smirk. "I actually came here to ask if you could..." He glanced over at Barricade for a moment and then gestured to his chest. "I just want you to take a look at something for me."

Seeing the movement of the warrior's hand was enough for Ratchet's exhaustion to fade from his optics and turn into concern. He motioned to him to come in and Sideswipe was more than happy to oblige, leaving Barricade alone with his thoughts.

Much to Sideswipe's surprise when they walked inside, he saw Ratchet's sparkmate, Moonracer, sitting with their daughter on her lap, bouncing her up and down as little one was struggling not to cry.

Sideswipe hadn't thought much about Kalila until recently when he began looking at her in another light. Sometimes he found himself staring for long periods of time to the point where even Ratchet often hit him on the back of the head, telling him to keep his optics off his daughter. The more he stared at the daughter of Ratchet and Moonracer, the more he realised how lovely she was beginning to look whenever he saw her. She looked exactly like her mother in terms of physical appearance. But temper wise though, she was just like her father, grumpy and more than willing to throw something at your face if you so much as pissed her off.

Sideswipe's optics softened at the sight of the distressed youngling. "Something wrong with little Kalila?" he asked Ratchet as he settled onto the berth while Ratchet went to get the medical tools.

"Unfortunately," Ratchet answered once he had returned, though he was watching carefully, "Kalila has got systems upset. She has been keeping us up all night with her crying to the point where we had to leave Paeon in the care of Chromia." Ratchet rubbed his optics tiredly.

Paeon was Ratchet's son, but Sideswipe didn't think much of him. He was still a sparkling, but he was already showing signs that he was more like his mother than his father.

Sideswipe nodded. "Then I offer my sympathies to you and your daughter," he told him as Ratchet performed a scan over his chest panels.

"Thank you, Sideswipe," Moonracer smiled as Kalila kept on groaning and sniffling under the discomfort of her upset body.

"Back to business, Sideswipe," Ratchet snorted, forcing Sideswipe to refocus his attention. "When was the last time your spark hurt so much?"

Sideswipe frowned. "About seven decades ago after..." He hesitated and everything went quiet in the room. Even the sniffling Kalila went quiet as well and Sideswipe found himself rubbing his chest panels out of habit. A hand rested upon his and he stopped as Ratchet pulled it away gently.

"Were you having nightmares about the... incident?" the elder mech asked.

He didn't say anything in response. Instead, he just bowed his head and kept silent, confirming exactly what Ratchet was asking. Ratchet made one more scan of his chest and then he pulled away to peer at the results. He frowned slightly and then shook his head. Sideswipe knew exactly what he was going to say next, but he was afraid to hear it. Probably even too afraid to even accept the truth, but he knew that he was stronger than his stubbornness.

He emitted a soft sigh, asking in a teasing manner, "What's the verdict, Doc?"

"The same thing that I happened to find seven decades ago," Ratchet answered, not taking his optics off the scanner. "Your spark is reacting as though it was experiencing the... loss of your brother again, giving you nightmares." His optics diverted to Sideswipe. "Did you do anything to trigger it?"

Sideswipe shook his head. "No."

Ratchet's brow furrowed even more, rubbing his chin with a forefinger and thumb. "Unless I'm wrong," he said quietly, "sparks tend to react subconsciously to old wounds, even though nothing triggers them. Normally, I'd suggest a sedative to help you to recharge, but I don't think that is the case with you."

"Look, Doc, just tell me why my spark is causing nightmares and then I'll be on my way," Sideswipe grumbled. He then squinted his optics shut and a faint image of the crimson flames licking at the corpses of the colonists, the sounds of screaming in his audio receptors, flashed across his field of vision and burned through his audio receptors. He quickly opened his optics, his spark racing in shock. Ratchet was resting a hand upon his shoulder, rubbing it gently to provide comfort. He hadn't realised he was lying on the floor until Ratchet was kneeling over him and Moonracer was standing closer with a wailing Kalila in her arms.

"Easy, Sideswipe," Ratchet said kindly, continuing to rub his shoulder, "you had a spark seizure."

Sideswipe carefully pushed himself off the floor until he was standing back up with the assistance of Ratchet, rubbing his chest panels lightly. "I think that's enough visiting you," he growled softly and slapped away Ratchet's helping hand. "Don't even bother with helping me, Doc. I don't want your pity!"

He turned and rolled out of the medical bay, but not before he stopped and glanced over his shoulder to see the quiet Kalila watching him with her intense blue optics. Shaking his head, he transformed into his vehicle form, not bothering to care if Prowl caught him racing down the halls and leaving tyre marks. He had to get away!

Sideswipe didn't stop until he got outside of the base and was out the lake. He transformed back into his bipedal form and he angled his wheels into his calves to allow his three-toed feet to provide balance for him on the soft dirt. Primus, he didn't want another brush with tumbling on the sand again like last time.

He glanced up at the early morning sky, his bright blue optics reflecting the warm light of the rising sun over the hills that casted an eerie yellow and pinkish red glow on the lake itself. He could faintly hear the birds stirring from their slumber in the trees, but he paid no heed to it. He lowered his gaze and rubbed one of his shoulders.

He hadn't meant to snap at Ratchet, but the feeling of pity from everyone regarding his personal life only made him feel sick to his tanks. While he was not above showing concern for those he cared about, especially for Bumblebee and Rodimus, Sideswipe hated it when those who learned about him losing his brother pitied him. It made him feel weak, pathetic, annoyed, and sick. He was a warrior who was meant to fight and to kill with little remorse, emotion in certain aspects went against his nature.

Once again, the images of long ago burned through his processor, stronger than ever before.

Anger coursed through his chest and he grabbed at his cranium, falling upon his knees and screamed loudly, sending birds flying off from their trees in fright. Why wouldn't the pain stop? Why did it have to start up after so long? What was wrong with him?

All those questions kept on coursing through his processor until a sharp pain struck his spark like a lightning bolt and he found himself rolling on the ground. His body shook and seized as it grew stronger and stronger, the images playing through him over and over again.

He opened his mouth in a silent, agonising scream.

And then, just like that, it passed.

Sideswipe continued to lay there, puzzled by the sudden halting in the pain. He hadn't noticed he had been lying on his back, venting heavily until his optics managed to catch a glimpse of a bright shooting star. He frowned for a moment, sitting up and staring at the object in the sky that only seemed to get bigger and bigger as it got closer.

He suddenly felt something brush against his conscious. Or... was that his spark? It was a sensation he hadn't experienced in over seventy years, a feeling that was both strange and familiar. What was it?

As the meteor got closer and closer, brightening until it began to whistle loudly and chunks of ice and rock broke off its surface, suddenly revealing metal. Sideswipe's optics widened in surprise and he stood up, watching it intensively. The sensation brushed against him again, stronger this time, but it was a feeling of both pain and confusion.

A single thought crossed his processor, a thought he hadn't thought of in so many years.

_Sunstreaker._

The metallic meteor flew right over his head and he had to roll out of the way just as it whistled past him and it slammed into the dirt many metres from his position. He whirled around and he ran as fast he could towards the smoking crater, excitement and hope gripping his very spark. It had to be his brother! It had to be!

He finally reached the edge of the crater and he could easily make out the metallic ball, hissing and smoking, covered in Cybertronian glyphs. He recognised one of them and a vent of air caught itself in his vocal processor. But much to his surprise, it was covered in burns and bleeding blue energon in several places. The orb form suddenly began to collapse and shift in on itself and Sideswipe watched with concern with the way how it was shaking and slowing the longer it went. He wished he could go down and help, but instinct forced him to wait until the protoform lay in place of the orb. The protoform was curled up in a ball and it was leaking energon from underneath its chest panels.

"Sunstreaker," Sideswipe gasped as he raced towards the protoform. He slid down the slope until he was at other mech's side. He carefully placed one arm behind his back and helped him to sit up. "Sunny, it's me, your brother."

Slowly, Sunstreaker optics flickered online and they lay upon the mech he had not seen in seven decades. "Sides?" he breathed weakly. "You're...?"

Tears leaked from Sideswipe's optics, he pressed his forehead to his brother's. "Yes, brother, it's me," he whispered. "All this time I... I thought you were..."

Sunstreaker chuckled, but he began coughing violently. Sideswipe struggled to stop himself from crying any further, but the miserable sight of his broken brother only upset his spark even more. "Takes... more than a simple attack... to kill me, Sides... You should... know that..." Sunstreaker said, though he was getting weaker by the moment.

Sideswipe gently shook his brother. No, Sunstreaker couldn't die! Not when he just got him back! "Sunny, hold on," he begged, more tears falling. "I'll get the Doc, he'll fix you up!"

Sunstreaker's optics flickered again. "R-R-Ratchet the Hatchet is here?" he wheezed. "Good, he'll... be a sight for sore optics."

His head lolled to one side.

"SUNSTREAKER!"

* * *

**Mwahahahahahahaha! Sorry guys for the cliffhanger, but I'm gonna be cruel to you now that I have returned to writing Earthspark stuff! This was a long time coming and I found myself struggling not to cry over this because damn Sideswipe at least deserves to be happy with his brother. Instead, nope, fate decided to be cruel and take it all away again! Or... has it? *grins wickedly***

**I'll leave you to figure that out.**


	2. Buried Memories

**And we are back for another instalment of this second short story of ****For the Bond We Share****. Getting back into the field of ****Earthspark**** is going to take a while to get used to. Hopefully I don't forget everything.**

**I know it's been a very long time since I've done anything ****Earthspark**** related, mostly because my muse ran away and I'd lost the will to keep on going with it until fanart from my friend NordicAutobotGirl got me back on the saddle. It's amazing how much a friend is willing to do to help you get back on the horse again. Bless her! I'll post a link to my friend's picture at the bottom so that you guys can focus on the chapter.**

**No promise that I'll get back to this, but I will eventually.**

**Let's pick up from where we left off, hm?**

* * *

**Chapter 2:**

**Buried Memories**

* * *

Sideswipe hadn't realised he'd been screaming for Ratchet's assistance through the com-link until he found himself withering on the ground and was slowly being raised back on his feet by a pair of strong arms. He tried to pull away, but he was far too weak to protest. He realised with wide eyes that Ratchet and First Aid were kneeling before the unconscious Sunstreaker and that it was Bumblebee and Rodimus who were standing by his side. He flailed uselessly as the spark shock eventually took hold of him and he began to scream Sunstreaker's name.

"Primus, get him into the medical bay quickly!" Ratchet bellowed without warning. "I can't concentrate if he keeps screaming like that!"

"But Ratchet, he's in spark shock!" Bumblebee yelled.

"Nothing is more important the well being of Sunstreaker," Ratchet snapped. "If I don't get him stabilised now, he will not be able to stay alive and I'll lose them both! Now get the fragger there now before he gets worse, Moonracer will take care of him."

Gentle hands lifted Sideswipe and he never realised he had been shaking and crying out for Sunstreaker until he was back in the medical bay. Too much time passed and he lost track of it until Ratchet and First Aid brought Sunstreaker back inside. Despite Moonracer's reassuring femme touch, his spark ached and burned for the closeness of his brother. He was so close and yet so far that he could barely sense him at all!

Everything seemed to darken around him as his spark began to rage with tranquil fury along with indescribable pain unlike anything he had felt in so many centuries. He saw someone back away and two figures tried to come closer, only for him to snap at them and push their closeness away.

"Primus, he's freaking out!"

"No, don't touch him!"

Sideswipe wrestled free from someone's grasp, pushing them away, his optics flashing white as he whirled upon them. He growled dangerously and they both backed away, looking very nervous as they did so. He roared and attempted to leap at his two companions, his optics blind with uncontrollable rage and hidden bloodlust. His blades flashed with the intention to kill.

"_Sunny? Sunny?! SUNNY!"_

_He was back on Cybertron, his voice constantly screaming for the loss of his brother. He felt himself being held down by strong, but gentle hands, hands that were warm and comforting. He was pressing his head against the owner's chest, unleashing his tears to the world over the very one he had lost._

"_He's gone, Hide… He's gone…"_

_The owner kept on holding him, never letting him go, never wanting to leave the broken warrior to his breaking spark. _

"SIDESWIPE!"

Sideswipe jolted from the memory… or was it a spark defibrillator? He couldn't remember anything but all he felt was a sudden jolt that brought him out of his nightmare thoughts. He was looking up at the ceiling, Moonracer was staring down at him along with Rodimus, Bumblebee, and… Ironhide?

Another electric current warmed him through the chest plates and he quickly pulled away, venting heavily.

"Back off," Moonracer ordered. "Give him some room to vent."

They did as she ordered as he struggled to come around after his flashback. Ironhide also carefully removed himself from the mech on the ground. Wait, since when had Ironhide decided to hold him down like that?

Sideswipe didn't question it as he slowly stood up, pressing his hand against the wall and venting heavily while leaning against the wall to support himself. What happened to him? The last thing he remembered was his deadly thoughts of wanting to kill whoever had harmed his brother and then the next thing he knew he was flashing back to the day he had thought he'd lost him, Ironhide comforting him and then… nothing…

"Sideswipe, are you alright?" Rodimus' gentle voice whispered. It was enough to get him to snap back to reality and focus his attention on the small group watching him like a hawk.

He remained silent, his optics turning back to the floor.

"I don't think it is our business to question whether he is alright or not, Rodimus," Ironhide replied a little sternly. "You wouldn't be alright if you had a flashback too, right?"

Rodimus lowered his optics, nodding understandably. "You're right, I'm sorry," he muttered quietly. "I shouldn't have asked."

Sideswipe straightened himself up and shook his shoulders to clear the unease from his processor. He even was forced to push Moonracer's attempt to scan him. He really wasn't in the mood to dealing with doctors right now. "Rodimus, Bumblebee," he said quietly, "as much as I appreciate your wanting to support me… I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to… leave. I just… I need to speak with Ironhide alone."

Hurt seeped across Rodimus' faceplates but he nodded, a puff of air escaping from his nasal plates. "I understand, Sideswipe," he said. He gently took Bumblebee by the arm and together the two left, but not before Rodimus gave Sideswipe a backward glance over his shoulder, the hurt still clearly written all over his facial features, but Sideswipe chose to ignore it all together.

Moonracer also left the waiting room to give the two some much needed privacy.

Once they were alone, Sideswipe sat on the chair with a heavy thud, with Ironhide following in suit. He suddenly pressed his faceplates into his hands, small tears trickling down his cheeks. He felt Ironhide gently place a hand upon his shoulders between his doorwings and he was secretly grateful for the act of kindness.

"If you do not want to tell Rodimus that you're alright, Sideswipe," Ironhide said, "then at least tell me that you are."

Sideswipe let off a small cough like sound but he said nothing at first. It took him less than five minutes to finally explain to the old mech what had transpired during his breakdown. When he had finished, Ironhide could only expel a small puff of oxygen from his nostrils. He then wrapped both his arms around Sideswipe's smaller frame and the young mech found himself burying himself into the warm comforts of his elder.

"I'm sorry, Sideswipe," he said softly. "Truly I am for what you're going through."

Sideswipe sighed quietly, not really trusting his vocal processor to say the right words. How could he explain exactly what he was feeling to the very mech who had helped look out for him after the events of losing the colony at the hands of Demolisher? The very thought of the long dead Decepticon caused chills to tingle down his spinal column and he really wished he'd been the one to kill him instead of Optimus.

For so many centuries, he had nursed his desire for revenge against the very Decepticon who he believed had taken the life of his brother. But now that Sunstreaker was alive a part of him realised that he owed Optimus an apology. However, he was not the apologetic type. Apologising to someone, even if he looked up to them, showed too much that he had a soft side, even though his time as being the guardian of Rodimus had caused it to surface a tiny bit. If he ended up apologising to Optimus for snapping at him for taking the life of Demolisher, whom he had wanted to end himself, then would it really matter anyway?

"Sideswipe," Ironhide's voice came, "I know what you're thinking."

He pushed himself off his elder and stared intensively at him. "How can you possibly know what I'm thinking?" he demanded coldly, he stood up on his wheeled feet and he realised that his blades would not obey his will. "What have you done?!"

Ironhide shook his head. "I didn't do anything," he replied. "Moonracer took your weapons offline so that you wouldn't hurt yourself or anyone who interacted with you."

Sideswipe emitted a deep growl beneath his vocal processor and he whirled away. He rolled up and down the room, frustration eating away at his growing temper. He thought for certain that Ironhide would try to calm him down, but he didn't. It was all the encouragement he needed and he threw a fist into the closest wall, snarling bitterly.

"I hate feeling so weak!" he yelled.

"Do we not?" Ironhide asked as he stood up, but he kept a respectful distance from him. "Sideswipe, I really do understand how you're feeling." Sideswipe turned to face him, lips pulled back into a snarl, but Ironhide pressed forward. "You feel weak and helpless even though you hate to admit it. Sometimes things happen that are beyond our control. If Sunstreaker dies, then I know that you have the strength to move on again. You found that when you offered to become Rodimus' guardian alongside Bumblebee."

Sideswipe uncurled his fists and sagged a little. "But…" he tried to say but his throat locked up, tears leaked from his optics again and he turned away to try and hide his pathetic weakness. "I… I don't think I can, Hide… I don't think I can do it again… not after I got him back in my life. I thought… Primus, I thought he was well and truly dead and I thought that killing both Demolisher and Sideways would bring me peace."

"And yet it didn't," Ironhide finished.

The silver mech nodded in response.

Ironhide took a few steps forward, his rusty body creaking slightly from the painful joints. He wrapped both arms around Sideswipe and held him tightly, not willing to let him go.

Sideswipe continued, "All this time, I had thought Sunstreaker was truly dead, but… when my nightmares started up again after a long time of being gone… I felt… I felt like something was going to happen, that my spark was crying at the joy of seeing him again. But… Ironhide, I can't… I can't lose him again…. I can't…"

"Shh," Ironhide whispered. "You won't lose him, Sideswipe. Trust Ratchet to take care of him. Trust that Primus will get him through this and you will be reunited with him again, both in body and in spark."

Sideswipe vented softly, sinking his body into the comforting arms of his old mentor until eventually all strength left his legs and he collapsed to the floor. He thought he heard Ironhide tell him to recharge and he'll watch over him, but some part of him protested against the idea, but eventually his recharge systems won over his will to stay awake and he allowed the comforts of darkness to envelop him.

* * *

_For the first time in Sideswipe's life, his recharge was quite peaceful. No nightmares of long ago resided in his dreams, no thoughts of revenge clouded his processor. It was nothing more than a dreamless rest. But he soon realised that in his rest, a warm comforting feeling seemed to shield him from the cold darkness._

_For a moment he was puzzled, but the warm feeling eventually began to feel familiar. It was as if his subconscious was awakening again after so many centuries of being broken and locked away._

_Then… an old voice echoed deep within his being…_

'Sideswipe…'

_He felt inclined to answer back, to yell out when the voice continued to speak his name, as though it desired him to call out after so long of being in the dark. He answered in a quiet but cautious voice,_ 'Sunstreaker?'

'Sideswipe…'

_The voice was becoming more and more familiar but it didn't take him long to figure out that it was indeed his brother calling out through the sparklink in his dreams. Was his spark fading? Was Sunstreaker on the verge of joining the Allspark?! He tried to ask the question through the link, but he got no answer. All he got was the voice of his brother constantly calling out his name through his spark._

"Sideswipe, wake up!"

He sat up with a start, optics wide with surprise and fear and he attempted to activate his blades, but he suddenly remembered that Moonracer had taken his weapon systems offline. He shook his head, suddenly realising that he was lying on a recharge berth in a private room. He looked around for a brief moment and then it came to him that he was not alone.

Ironhide was standing at the door with bright blue focused directly on him.

"Ironhide?" Sideswipe asked groggily, rubbing his optics to clear the exhaustion from his processor. "What's wrong?"

"Ratchet told me to tell you that the operation was a success," Ironhide smiled. "Sunstreaker made it."

* * *

**And there you have it folks! The next chapter is over and done with.**

**As promised, here is link to the fanart my friend posted. If you've read ****Birth****, you'll remember this scene from long ago. Just remove the brackets and the spaces. Also keeps eating at the last bit, just add a full stop after tumblr: nordicautobotgirl . tumblr com /post/ 129065428254/ hot-rod-vs-harbinger-fanart-for**

**I hope you like the art that gave me my muse back! Bless this darling and I look forward to writing some more of this fanfic when I get the feeling again. This time the next update will not be as long.**

**See you on the other side!**


End file.
